California Leading the Nation in Solar Panel Installations

It’s no secret that California is a hotbed for solar. It seems like at least once a month, another large-scale solar farm is proposed. But it’s not just large solar operations that make California a leader in solar energy: it’s the residential installations as well.

It is estimated that nearly a quarter of a million homes in California have solar panels installed, and that number is expected to jump even further. Most companies offer some sort of incentive or rebate system, and many households are even eligible for governmental assistance if they wish to go solar. There are also volunteer organizations dedicated to installing solar panels in low-income areas, often paying some or all of the costs of the panels, and having volunteer contractors do the installations for free.

Advances in technology are also making it easier for homeowners to make the switch. Solar panels are more efficient than ever generating more electricity per solar cell, not to mention the launch of Tesla’s home batteries has the world buzzing. It creates a new opportunity to store the excess solar energy generated during the day to save for use during times when solar production isn’t as high, creating a solution to the “no sun, no power” problem that was a major hangup with those considering solar energy. This chart, right, credit of extremetech.com, charts solar generation capacity vs peak times of energy use. Storage of the excess solar power generated during the day to use during other parts of the day allows homeowners to become more self-sustaining, and less reliant on the power grid.

The State of California has a goal set for 25% of its energy to come from renewable sources by 2016, and then up to 33% by 2020. The majority of this is expected to come from solar power. Learn more about how you can switch to solar.